What are critical elements?
Critical elements are the most important components of the skill that allow mature patterns of performance, cues to focus attention of the teacher and student, and memory aids that assist in retention of the skill. The important components of the skill are determined by studying the skill. For example, critical elements for catching are look, reach, and give. The catcher must know the time/space relationship in order to appropriately time the catch (thus look). They must also absorb the force of the ball over time and distance, therefore the critical elements of reach and give. A more complex example for the one-hand overhand throw might be look, step, hip, shoulders, follow-through. As we all know, children and/or novice learners do not know what to attend to. Consequently, by providing the students with the critical elements of the skill, the learner knows on what to focus and the cues assist in retention of the skill.
What do we evaluate?
When teaching motor skills, the teacher can evaluate: skill outcome, skill process, knowledge of concepts, sports, rules, and strategy. During early learning, skill process is critical to evaluate. An example of the critical elements of the process of a one hand over hand throwing pattern would be to evaluate whether the child used the key words step, hip, shoulder, arm. The step relates to stepping with the opposite foot. Hip refers to sequential, segmental rotation of the hip and shoulders, while shoulder refers to a lag of the upper arm. Arm indicates that there is a delayed lag of the forearm with a follow-through. These cue words help the teacher and learner focus on components that are needed to improve the pattern of the skill.
Where is the Critical Element Book?
Critical elements are determined by evaluation of the mature pattern.
Can students evaluate?
The ability to evaluate skill performance can be accomplished by even young children. However, there is a developmental progression to evaluate skills. If merely asked to evaluate their performance, young children will be unable to do so. But if taught what to look for and how to look for it, children can evaluate motor skills. Initially, children should be given the opportunity to observe and record skill outcome. This helps to focus attention and develops an understanding of recording information. After the teacher checks the child on evaluation of outcome (how many times, how fast), the child is ready to focus their attention on evaluation of the critical elements of the task. The teacher must explain the critical elements (keep them short and sweet) and then provide an opportunity for the child to evaluate correct and incorrect movements. This can easily be accomplished in group activity where the teacher demonstrates and asks the child to evaluate the critical elements of the performance.
Providing Feedback
The critical cues are used to provide feedback to the learner. The feedback must be: short and sweet, specific, and relate to the critical cues. After providing feedback, the teacher must allow child to think about the information. If the teacher/evaluator responds too quickly, the child does not have to deal with the information.
Where is the Critical Element Book?
How do you determine the important components of the skill?
What would the critical elements of catching need
to
be?
HINT: What do you need to do to catch successfully
What about the critical elements of the one-handed
throw?
This might be a little more difficult because it relates to the pattern
itself.
Do learners know about critical elements?
What are the benefits of critical elements?